Pregnancy Guide - What You Can Expect
First Trimester - 0 to 12 weeks
In your First Trimester, your baby goes through lots of changes. The face, arms, legs, and tooth buds form. The brain, digestive and nervous systems will develop. Your baby will start to move his or her arms and legs as well as be able to frown or smile. Your amniotic sac will develop fluid to sustain your baby's life. The Doctor can use a doppler machine from 8 -12 weeks and hear your baby's heartbeat.
Your body will also go through changes. Your periods will stop and nausea, faintness and fatigue may become commonplace even before you know you are pregnant. Your vaginal secretions will increase. You will have the urge to pee more often. You will develop fuller, more tender breasts and your nipples will grow in size and become darker in hue.
Your body will also go through changes. Your periods will stop and nausea, faintness and fatigue may become commonplace even before you know you are pregnant. Your vaginal secretions will increase. You will have the urge to pee more often. You will develop fuller, more tender breasts and your nipples will grow in size and become darker in hue.
Second Trimester - 13 to 24 weeks
At this stage, your baby's growth is rapid. Your baby's skin is transparent and wrinkled and coated with a cheesy material called vernix which will protect the skin during it's long stay in the amniotic fluid. His or her body is also covered with downy hair. The sex organs will form which will allow you to soon be able to learn if you are having a boy or a girl. The eye lashes, head hair and fingernails will form. Your baby will be able to suck, swallow, hiccup and even cry. The baby's heartbeat is strong and can be detected with a fetoscope.
You will also start to see skin changes. Stretch marks may become visible on the breasts and abdomen, a line running down from the navel to the middle of the abdomen may occur and you may start to see brown spots on your face. You may experience food cravings. Constipation will become an issue and you may have leg cramps and bleeding gums. You will be able to feel the movements of your baby including when he or she has the hiccups.
Third Trimester - 25 to 40 weeks
You will also start to see skin changes. Stretch marks may become visible on the breasts and abdomen, a line running down from the navel to the middle of the abdomen may occur and you may start to see brown spots on your face. You may experience food cravings. Constipation will become an issue and you may have leg cramps and bleeding gums. You will be able to feel the movements of your baby including when he or she has the hiccups.
Third Trimester - 25 to 40 weeks
Between 25-28 weeks, your baby will be about 14-17 inches long and the body will start to fill out. Your baby will become more active in movement and will develop breathing techniques as he or she gets ready to take that first breath.
Between 29-32 weeks your baby will have grown to about 16.5-18 inches and will alternate between rest and active phases. The liver will begin to function. Your baby will now respond to sounds.
Between 33-36 weeks your baby is about 19 inches and weighs approximately 6 pounds. The skin is less wrinkled and your baby will be less active because he no longer has a lot of room to move around in.
In the final weeks of your pregnancy, the baby will gain about one more inch and pound as your baby puts on more fat. The lungs will mature. Your baby will settle into the pelvis. Most people say that the baby has dropped. This indicates that labor is near. If this is not your first child, the baby may not drop into the pelvis until labor begins.
Between 33-36 weeks your baby is about 19 inches and weighs approximately 6 pounds. The skin is less wrinkled and your baby will be less active because he no longer has a lot of room to move around in.
In the final weeks of your pregnancy, the baby will gain about one more inch and pound as your baby puts on more fat. The lungs will mature. Your baby will settle into the pelvis. Most people say that the baby has dropped. This indicates that labor is near. If this is not your first child, the baby may not drop into the pelvis until labor begins.
During this last trimester you will become uncomfortable in a variety of ways. You may develop insomnia, anemia, frequent heartburn, backaches and varicose veins. These discomforts will contribute to your fatigue as they deplete your energy. You may also develop shortness of breath due to the baby taking up alot of room, hemorrhoids and edema. You will notice an increase in perspiration and in the times you will need to urinate.
Braxton Hicks will become more frequent. This may also be called false labor as your uterus is hardening and tightening similar to labor contractions. It is your body's way of practicing for the actual labor. You may also have a bloody show which is an indication that labor is about to begin.
Once your baby drops into the pelvis, you will no longer have shortness of breath as he or she isn't taking up so much room in your chest cavity. However, the urge to urinate will be more frequent due to the pressure on your pelvic muscles. During this final stage of pregnancy, your cervix will efface, or thin out, and start to dilate, or open up to allow for the baby to be born.
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